


Step Aside, 'Cause I Don't Need Your Sympathy

by SapphicPetunia



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, FEMALE Spot Conlon, Fluff, Girlsies, Hey look I'm writing something that isn't sad, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Is this a drabble?, It is now, It's a happy ending though, Light Angst, female racetrack higgins, genderbent newsies, i guess?, i love how that's a tag, in this house we stan female spot, the title is from a billy talent song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 23:25:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17755484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicPetunia/pseuds/SapphicPetunia
Summary: Spot Conlon didn't need anyone's sympathy. But Racetrack Higgins wasn't just anyone.





	Step Aside, 'Cause I Don't Need Your Sympathy

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Billy Talent late one night, and I got inspired.

If there was one word that described Spot Conlon, it was _independent_. She didn't need anyone's sympathy. She was Brooklyn's fearless leader. She was almost untouchable.

Almost.

Spot Conlon had one weak spot. Her name was Racetrack Higgins, the only Manhattan newsies who was allowed to sell in Brooklyn. No one knew exactly why, but a good number of newsies, both Brooklyn and Manhattan, had a betting pool on it and were determined to find out. All of their theories were way off, and blackmail related. The actual reason was simply that Spot and Race were friends.

Race had seen a side of Spot that no one else had ever seen. Ever since Spot had wandered over to Manhattan very late one night after an emotional breakdown, Race was the one person Spot felt like she could go to with her problems. One problem in particular.

Spot felt like she was being put on a pedestal. The Brooklyn newsies idolized her, the other newsies were terrified of her, and she felt alone. No else would have ever guessed that she might have felt alone, and that was the way she liked it. If they knew, they would try to tell her that she had newsies who would lay down their lives for her, but that wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want their sympathy, and she found herself pushing them away. She had made a reputation for herself, and it was too late to ruin that reputation now.

What she really wanted, what she _needed_ was a friend. A friend who would listen, a friend she could talk to, a friend who would hold her close and dry her tears. A friend she could trust.

Spot could trust Race. Race was a good friend. A friend who held her close while she was upset, and promised to never tell anyone about it.

Race was the only person who had ever seen Spot cry.

Spot knew she didn't mean as much to Race as Race meant to her. Sure, they were friends, but Race had other friends. Race had the Manhattan newsies. She knew Race enjoyed her company, but she couldn't possibly compare to them. She was just one of many people Race could go to with her own problems, and she was all the way across the city, so why would Race make that trek when she had friends who cared about her right next to her?

That was exactly what Spot was wondering when Race showed up at the Brooklyn lodging house late one night and asked to see her.

"Race," she said softly. "What- what are you doing here?"

"Spottie, I need to tell you something. You're probably going to hate me, but I know that if I don't, I'm going to regret it, so here goes." Race took a deep breath. "I... I think I'm in love with you."

Spot could only stare at her, her eyes wide. After a few seconds of silence, Race kept talking. "Alright, that's all I wanted to say, if you hate me now, you can kick me out or whatever."

Spot couldn't contain it anymore. She started full on crying and pulled Race in for a long hug. She pressed her face into the taller girl’s shoulder and hoped none of the Brooklyn newsies would wake up and hear her emotional sobs. Race returned her embrace and rested her head on top of Spot’s.

"Race," she said when they finally broke apart. "I could never hate you. You make me feel like I matter. No one ever thought to make sure I'm okay, because I spent years pushing people away, and now they all assume I don't need anyone's sympathy. I think I was just so used to not having anyone looking out for me, I thought I could handle it, but... I couldn't. I felt so alone. My life was so... empty. Until I met you. I don't know what I would do without you. And Racer?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm in love with you too."

Spot Conlon didn't need anyone's sympathy. But Racetrack Higgins wasn't just anyone.


End file.
